Physical Therapy Can Help In The Treatment Of Vertigo

Vertigo can be debilitating to the person experiencing it, as the spinning cannot be stopped even with the eyes closed. Those who have encountered this condition usually wait it out until the feeling go away. For some that have it oftentimes go to the doctor and take in pills to stop the headache. Such is a temporary solution to the problem and persons with vertigo are resigned to having it for the rest of their lives. But there is actually a non-invasive way to treat vertigo particularly the BPPV or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. Other types of vertigo can also be helped by the physical therapy.

Most vertigo cases are central and start within the brain that requires a visit to the physician to know the cause. Other vertigo conditions originate from the vestibular system or the inner ear. The BPPV is the most common form of vertigo that is caused by the loosening of the otoliths of the ear or virus brought about by the sinus infection. Otoliths are crystals found in the inner ear in a gelatinous material that when get loosen moves around the ear canal as the body bends. Such movement of the crystals results into a sickening spinning feeling.

The BPPV can easily be treated by a few physical therapy techniques. Physical therapists apply a series of adjustments to the vertigo patient to allow the otoliths to stick back to the gelatinous membrane inside the inner ear. The patient is then asked not to lie flat, tilt the head back, exercise and other strenuous activities to avoid shaking the otoliths again. After one session, the patient feels better most of the time when following the therapist’s recommendation.

If the vertigo is not caused by the otoliths, physical therapy can also help. In a neck injury, vertigo hampers the position-sense input of the brain and the neck causing the stiffness. Strengthening exercises, posture training and stretching will be able to relieve the stiffness that lessens the possibility of vertigo attacks. When the inner ear has deteriorated through infection or age, physical therapy can assist by improving balance and using the eyes more.

Many patients have gone to the emergency for fear of a brain tumor or stroke but finds out that it is just a simple case of imbalance. With this development, those who have vertigo can look forward to finally being released from the spinning episodes that are intolerable most of the time.